THE SHOWDOWN
McDonald's Canada’s The Showdown campaign brought NHL stars Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews together in a modern take on the brand’s classic trick-shot rivalry. Paying homage to the original 1993 and 1997 commercials, the ad fused nostalgia with contemporary culture, featuring dynamic on-ice trick shots and playful nods to true hockey fans.
The campaign also introduced a limited-time Showdown Menu, with items inspired by the players' styles, including the Big Mac-David and Smoky Quarter Papi. In addition to capturing high-energy live-action footage, we also shot specialty food content to showcase these exclusive menu items.
As the senior producer leading this project, I worked through a compressed timeline and the challenge of coordinating three professional athletes’ schedules, all while ensuring the creative vision remained top-tier. The campaign’s success was a testament to our team’s precision and adaptability, delivering a culturally relevant and fan-driven experience.
Campaign Credits
McDonalds Canada
Alyssa Buetikofer Chief Marketing Officer
Rebecca Smart Director of Marketing, Brand Strategy & ROD
Jamie Bone Sr. Marketing Manager
Moira Heaney National Marketing Supervisor
Mélissa Hains Senior Marketing Director, Brand Strategy
Suzanne Grondin Regional Marketing Director
Noémie Duchesne Regional Marketing Supervisor
Brenda Surminski Claire-Randall Consulting
Catherine Gao Social Lead & Brand Manager
Nezariel Scott Social & Brand Specialist
Shaelyn Talusan Marketing Specialist, Digital and Owned Content
Kristen Hunter Canada Impact Team
Alexandra Scarlato Canada Impact Team
Cossette - AGENCY
Bryden McDonald VP, Managing Director
Driscoll Reid Chief Creative Officer
Andrew Chisholm Executive Creative Director
Jason Hill Executive Creative Director
Darya Klymenko Creative Director
Matt Moore Creative Director
Cam Guest Creative Director
Zeina Samaha Senior Copywriter
Ben Bousada Copywriter
Lindsay Hann Lead Campaign Senior Agency Producer
Lilly Nesbitt Agency Producer, Social
Dan Cameron Group VP, Head of Strategy
Nicole Stanhope Senior Strategy Director
Carly Syme Group Business Director
Wendy Doan Group Business Director
Emily Stoneman Business Director
Mike Harris Business Director
Santana Symeonides Account Supervisor
Ashleigh Gomez Account Supervisor
Annaig Perramant Account Supervisor
Madison LeBlanc Account Executive
Jess Zujko Account Executive
Olivia Graham Business Director, Social
Brendon Samuel Content Creator
Panny Charoensuk Content Creator
Lilly Nesbitt Content Producer
Hayley Green Community Manager
Mark Prole Production Manager
Jeff Maynard Program Manager, Digital
Gianna Blasutto Senior Production Manager
David Atkinson Digital Senior Project Manager
Evan Bowman Junior Digital Content Manager
Cossette Montreal
Alex Gadoua Executive Creative Director
Marc-André Vigneault. Associate Creative Director
Étienne LeBourdais Copywriters
Philippe Brassard Copywriters
François Hiron Art Director
Simon Provencher-Girard Social Copywriter
Natalie Azoulay Director, Business Lead
Maria-Laura Laubenthal Senior Account Supervisor
Marie-France Cusson Agency Producer
Catherine Richard Agency Producer
Antoine Cormier Strategist
Farah Chaou Community Manager & Analyst
CIRCLE PRODUCTIONS
Pete Marquis Director
Karen Tameanko Partner/Executive Producer
Laurence Payne Executive Producer
Amanda Field Line Producer
Adam Marsden Director of Photography
Sam Pecoraro Assistant Director
Alan Kuipers Production Manager
Jigsaw Casting Casting
Jesson Moen Production Designer
Noah Witenoff Lead Food Stylist
Carol Brown Assistant Food Stylist
Kate Day Wardrobe Stylist
Matt Cassils Location Manager
ENDEAVOR
Jessica Thomas Head of Brand Partnerships
Devin Duran Senior Account Manager // Entertainment Marketing
NIMIOPERE - OFFLINE
Graham Chisholm Editor
Bryan Reuben Editor
Shalini Menon Assistant Editor
Jenna Edwards Exec Producer
ROYAL MUSTER - COLOUR
Roslyn Di Sisto Colourist
Thatcher Peterson Executive Producer
Diane Valera Head of Production
Esli Israel Colour Assist
Celene Curlee Colour Assist
Zack Wilpon Colour Assist
STUDIO FEATHER - FINISHING
Andrew Rolfe Finishing/VFX
Julian van Mil Creative Director
Bronte Barber Senior Producer
Sara Windrim Executive Producer
Riley Lindsay VFX Assist
Colin Cunningham VFX Supervisor
Sean Douglas VFX/Game Design
Karol Kisiel VFX Artists
Diego Dutra
Mike Morley
Sergej Liamin
Justin Wotherspoon Motion Artist
Beacon Street Studios - AUDIO
Andrew Feltenstein Principal, Composer
Danny Dunlap Principal, Composer
John Nau Principal, Composer
Leslie DiLullo EP, Head of Production
Julia Giambona Producer
Rommel Molina Sound Designer, Mixer
Anthony Ngyuen Assistant Mixer
Kate Vadnais Executive Producer, Mix & Sound Design
La Majeure (Montréal)
Vincent Dufour Operations Director
Donovan Adams Sound Designer/Engineer
OMD - MEDIA
Meredith Menkes Managing Director
Logan Lindsay Group Director of Strategy
Dustin Wilson Director of Strategy
Mikayla Smith Associate Director of Strategy
Weber Shandwick - PR
Milena D’Agostino Vice President, Client Experience
Alana Lipton Vice President, Integrated Media
Shipra Chauhan Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning
Jessica Adelson Senior Associate, Strategic Planning
Kevin Behar Senior Manager, Integrated Media
Kelsey De Melo Manager, Integrated Media
Ludwick Chapman Senior Associate, Integrated Media
Maria-Gabriela Garcia Senior Associate, Integrated Media
Elisa Cazelais Associate, Integrated Media
Olivia Chislett Associate, Integrated Media